Lancers Claim First Outright Conference Crown In Decade
February 20, 2023 at 10:23 p.m.
Lancers Claim First Outright Conference Crown In Decade
By Josh Neuhart-
The Lancers secured the regular season title with a 103-69 dismantling of Spring Arbor on Saturday. It marks Grace’s first league crown since the 2011-12 season.
As a result, Grace has secured the automatic bid to the 2023 NAIA National Championships.
No. 4 Grace finishes the regular season with a 25-3 record and 15-3 record in the league. Grace’s 15 wins in CL play sets a new record for most conference victories.
The Lancers won the regular season outright, marking Grace’s first outright title since 1992-93.
Grace will be the No. 1 seed in next week’s Crossroads League Tournament. The Lancers won the tourney last season as the No. 5 seed.
Grace will host the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 7 p.m. If the Lancers advance, Grace would host the semifinals on Saturday and the championship on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Saturday’s win was a dominant display by the champs. The Lancers shot 66 percent from the floor and never trailed. Grace topped the century mark as well for the fourth time.
No player for Grace saw more than 23 minutes of action, yet the Lancers still put six players in double-digit scoring.
Grace roared into the lead to begin the game, scoring eight unanswered points with baskets from three different players.
The Cougars needed almost four minutes to get on the scoreboard in the face of Grace’s stingy defense.
The Lancers used their size and strength to punish the smaller Cougars. A variety of strong drives and finishes from Jakob Gibbs and Elijah Malone handed Grace a comfortable lead.
Frankie Davidson was brilliant in the first half, scoring eight quick points with a pair of 3-pointers to hand the Lancers a 20-8 lead.
Ian Scott also played a key role in the half, coming off the bench to score eight points in a four-minute span.
Davidson hit a few more triples late in the half, blowing Grace’s lead up to 21.
The Lancers went into halftime with a commanding 52-31 lead. Grace shot 67 percent from the floor while holding SAU to 42 percent. Grace had 34 points in the paint and turned the ball over just three times.
Davidson (14 points) and Scott (12 points) led the scoring in the half, combining to shoot 11 of 13 between the duo.
Grace resumed its assertiveness in the second half; the Lancers immediately scored 10 points in the paint, including a two-handed slam from Malone.
SAU struggled to slow down Grace’s attack. A triple from Brett Sickafoose handed the Lancers a 75-46 cushion with 12 minutes to play.
Sickafoose continued to stay hot, hitting his next two 3s less than two minutes later to extend Grace’s cushion to 37.
The Lancers turned to their bench with 10 minutes remaining, allowing the squad to showcase its depth.
Marcus Davidson erupted off the bench. The guard scored 10 points with two assists, shooting 4 of 5 from the floor in just 12 minutes of play. Sickafoose also amassed 11 points in 14 minutes.
Frankie Davidson led Grace in scoring, scoring 18 points on just eight shots (6 of 8). He was a perfect 4 of 4 on 3-pointers and added three rebounds and three assists.
Scott finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block while missing just one shot (8 of 9), and Jakob Gibbs shot 7 of 9 for 16 points.
Malone tallied 10 points, 3 boards and 3 assists, Cade Gibbs had 9 points, 4 boards and 4 assists, and Jake Wadding added 4 points, 8 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals.
The Lancers finished the game shooting 66 percent from the floor, 53 percent on 3-pointers and 81 percent from the foul line.
Offensive Day Earns Split For Lancers
WESTFIELD - Offense was the highlight of the final two games of the series against Aquinas over the weekend. Both teams combined for a staggering 50 runs in two games.
The Lancers (5-12) dropped the first game 14-9 before turning the tide and jumping all over the Saints (2-2) to the tune of 16-11 in game two.
Grace was gifted a run in the opening frame with four walks in the inning. The Saints jumped ahead though in the bottom of the inning with four runs of their own.
The Lancers once again took advantage of the free pass in the second. A leadoff walk to Keenan LeBlanc, followed by back-to-back singles from Maximo De Leon and Josh Cosme, cut the deficit to two. De Leon promptly stole third base, then after consecutive walks masterfully stole home. Sam Newkirk followed with an RBI single to level the score.
The stalemate was short lived as the Saints pushed across nine runs over the next three innings.
Grace would mount a comeback in the sixth with some two-out lightning. With the bases loaded, John Joyce delivered a 3 RBI double to clear the bases, and Sean Gannon followed that up with a double to drive in Joyce.
The margin, however, would end at five after each team added one more run with the final scoreline reading 14-9 in favor of Aquinas.
De Leon batted 3 for 4 with 1 RBI, 1 walk, 3 runs and 3 stolen bases. Cosme chipped in a 3 for 4 clip with 2 runs, 1 walk and 1 stolen base.
A wild first inning gave the Lancers an early five-run lead to start the second game of the day. De Leon led off with a single and later scored on a wild pitch. Gavin Kelley scored on a passed in between walks to Joyce and LeBlanc. Gannon doubled in Newkirk, Grant Hartley scored on a fielder’s choice and McIntosh added an RBI single.
Jeff Pawlik belted a two-run homer in the second to add to the lead.
Grace added two runs in the third and four more in the fourth. LeBlanc and McIntosh both scored on wild pitches and Pawlick ripped a two-RBI double to balloon the score to 13-0.
Aquinas made it interesting. After scoring three in the fourth and trading runs in the sixth the Saints kept chipping away at the deficit to get within five at 16-11, but Grace was able to shut the door and come away with the victory.
Mason Meyer was the pitcher of record, striking out seven batters in 6.1 innings of work. Hunter Schumacher came on to pitch the ninth, finishing with two strikeouts.
Pawlik produced 5 RBIs, going 3 for 4 with two extra base hits, a walk and a run. Four others added multi-hit games. Bradyn McIntosh was 3 for 4 with 1 RBI, 3 runs and a walk, and De Leon went 2 for 4 with 4 runs, 1 RBI and 2 walks.
Grace will be back in action with a four-game series against Trinity Christian starting on Feb. 23.
The Lancers secured the regular season title with a 103-69 dismantling of Spring Arbor on Saturday. It marks Grace’s first league crown since the 2011-12 season.
As a result, Grace has secured the automatic bid to the 2023 NAIA National Championships.
No. 4 Grace finishes the regular season with a 25-3 record and 15-3 record in the league. Grace’s 15 wins in CL play sets a new record for most conference victories.
The Lancers won the regular season outright, marking Grace’s first outright title since 1992-93.
Grace will be the No. 1 seed in next week’s Crossroads League Tournament. The Lancers won the tourney last season as the No. 5 seed.
Grace will host the quarterfinals on Wednesday at 7 p.m. If the Lancers advance, Grace would host the semifinals on Saturday and the championship on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Saturday’s win was a dominant display by the champs. The Lancers shot 66 percent from the floor and never trailed. Grace topped the century mark as well for the fourth time.
No player for Grace saw more than 23 minutes of action, yet the Lancers still put six players in double-digit scoring.
Grace roared into the lead to begin the game, scoring eight unanswered points with baskets from three different players.
The Cougars needed almost four minutes to get on the scoreboard in the face of Grace’s stingy defense.
The Lancers used their size and strength to punish the smaller Cougars. A variety of strong drives and finishes from Jakob Gibbs and Elijah Malone handed Grace a comfortable lead.
Frankie Davidson was brilliant in the first half, scoring eight quick points with a pair of 3-pointers to hand the Lancers a 20-8 lead.
Ian Scott also played a key role in the half, coming off the bench to score eight points in a four-minute span.
Davidson hit a few more triples late in the half, blowing Grace’s lead up to 21.
The Lancers went into halftime with a commanding 52-31 lead. Grace shot 67 percent from the floor while holding SAU to 42 percent. Grace had 34 points in the paint and turned the ball over just three times.
Davidson (14 points) and Scott (12 points) led the scoring in the half, combining to shoot 11 of 13 between the duo.
Grace resumed its assertiveness in the second half; the Lancers immediately scored 10 points in the paint, including a two-handed slam from Malone.
SAU struggled to slow down Grace’s attack. A triple from Brett Sickafoose handed the Lancers a 75-46 cushion with 12 minutes to play.
Sickafoose continued to stay hot, hitting his next two 3s less than two minutes later to extend Grace’s cushion to 37.
The Lancers turned to their bench with 10 minutes remaining, allowing the squad to showcase its depth.
Marcus Davidson erupted off the bench. The guard scored 10 points with two assists, shooting 4 of 5 from the floor in just 12 minutes of play. Sickafoose also amassed 11 points in 14 minutes.
Frankie Davidson led Grace in scoring, scoring 18 points on just eight shots (6 of 8). He was a perfect 4 of 4 on 3-pointers and added three rebounds and three assists.
Scott finished with 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block while missing just one shot (8 of 9), and Jakob Gibbs shot 7 of 9 for 16 points.
Malone tallied 10 points, 3 boards and 3 assists, Cade Gibbs had 9 points, 4 boards and 4 assists, and Jake Wadding added 4 points, 8 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals.
The Lancers finished the game shooting 66 percent from the floor, 53 percent on 3-pointers and 81 percent from the foul line.
Offensive Day Earns Split For Lancers
WESTFIELD - Offense was the highlight of the final two games of the series against Aquinas over the weekend. Both teams combined for a staggering 50 runs in two games.
The Lancers (5-12) dropped the first game 14-9 before turning the tide and jumping all over the Saints (2-2) to the tune of 16-11 in game two.
Grace was gifted a run in the opening frame with four walks in the inning. The Saints jumped ahead though in the bottom of the inning with four runs of their own.
The Lancers once again took advantage of the free pass in the second. A leadoff walk to Keenan LeBlanc, followed by back-to-back singles from Maximo De Leon and Josh Cosme, cut the deficit to two. De Leon promptly stole third base, then after consecutive walks masterfully stole home. Sam Newkirk followed with an RBI single to level the score.
The stalemate was short lived as the Saints pushed across nine runs over the next three innings.
Grace would mount a comeback in the sixth with some two-out lightning. With the bases loaded, John Joyce delivered a 3 RBI double to clear the bases, and Sean Gannon followed that up with a double to drive in Joyce.
The margin, however, would end at five after each team added one more run with the final scoreline reading 14-9 in favor of Aquinas.
De Leon batted 3 for 4 with 1 RBI, 1 walk, 3 runs and 3 stolen bases. Cosme chipped in a 3 for 4 clip with 2 runs, 1 walk and 1 stolen base.
A wild first inning gave the Lancers an early five-run lead to start the second game of the day. De Leon led off with a single and later scored on a wild pitch. Gavin Kelley scored on a passed in between walks to Joyce and LeBlanc. Gannon doubled in Newkirk, Grant Hartley scored on a fielder’s choice and McIntosh added an RBI single.
Jeff Pawlik belted a two-run homer in the second to add to the lead.
Grace added two runs in the third and four more in the fourth. LeBlanc and McIntosh both scored on wild pitches and Pawlick ripped a two-RBI double to balloon the score to 13-0.
Aquinas made it interesting. After scoring three in the fourth and trading runs in the sixth the Saints kept chipping away at the deficit to get within five at 16-11, but Grace was able to shut the door and come away with the victory.
Mason Meyer was the pitcher of record, striking out seven batters in 6.1 innings of work. Hunter Schumacher came on to pitch the ninth, finishing with two strikeouts.
Pawlik produced 5 RBIs, going 3 for 4 with two extra base hits, a walk and a run. Four others added multi-hit games. Bradyn McIntosh was 3 for 4 with 1 RBI, 3 runs and a walk, and De Leon went 2 for 4 with 4 runs, 1 RBI and 2 walks.
Grace will be back in action with a four-game series against Trinity Christian starting on Feb. 23.
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